Geriatric Gymnasts in the Spotlight

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!
My Geriatric Gymnast story is highlighted in the Atlantic!
Read on for more information.

Like the rest of the world, I love watching the glory of Golden Girls Simone, Suni, Jordan, Jade and Hezly, and the greatness of the bronze boys Paul, Brody, Fred, Asher and Super Steve (that pommel horse routine gave me chills!!).

Admittedly, I’ve always loved watching gymnastics, but I don’t think I’ve been quite as invested as I am this cycle. I am glued to my television, having a heart attack when they fall, screaming and fist pumping when they stick a landing. All the while, I’m texting with my flipping buddies Tammy and Lisette in real time as we share our experience of the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.

I’m thinking my investment is powered by several things.

Golden Simone

I have been obsessed with Simone since her entrance into the Olympic arena in Rio 2016. With her now at the top of the sport, the average age of our women’s team is now much higher than we have ever seen. We all know how bumpy that road to glory has been, but has also been electric and inspiring, especially for this older flipper. Simone is unapologetically herself, has burned the old gymnastic playbook and written her own. Flipping the script has clearly worked for her and her fellow athletes.

It is also working for all of us. At the ripe young age of 27, she inspires those of us twice her age to keep rewriting the narrative.

Lifelong learning

Now that I’m running some adult classes, I have to make time to do my own training. Much of that work is focused on understanding and applying the fundamentals. Perhaps they are taken for granted by the younger, more experienced gymnasts, but I’ve experienced too many injuries to ignore them. In my training I try to bring them to the forefront.

Read Commit the the Funamentals for more about that.

Now, I’m looking for those details in the elite performances and recognizing what to look for in the skills. I can better parse out what’s “good” from “bad” technique, and extend that knowledge into my adult gymnastics world. When I see something that I don’t understand or recognize, my alarm bells go off. I have to immediately consult with my fellow adults with more experience to make sure I’m not missing something. After all, I started much later than they did and after 16 years, there’s still so much to learn.

Adults like me in the spotlight

A few weeks ago, I published an article called Promoting Adult Gymnastics. Journalist Kelly Hardcastle Jones had reached include me in the conversation about my Geriatric Gymnast moniker for an article she was writing about the Rise of adult gymnastics.

Today, the article just came out in The Atlantic!! It’s called The ‘Grandma Gymnast’ Is Here to Stay. What a timely moment for the real Golden Girls (and guys) of gymnastics.

Some highlights from Kelly’s article:

Unlike me, Stacey Tirro didn’t do gymnastics as a child. But when she saw the joy on her kids’ faces as they bounced on a trampoline in their gymnastics classes, she decided she also wanted to experience that. So what if she was 36, practically dead in gymnastics years? In 2008, she worked up the courage to join that gym’s adult class. She’s been tracking her progress under the name “The Geriatric Gymnast” ever since.

Tirro, the Geriatric Gymnast, trains with and now also coaches an adult class at Flipper’s Gymnastics in New Jersey. She told me the culture change has even affected women, like her, who didn’t grow up doing gymnastics. Elite “grandma” gymnasts inspire Tirro because their success is evidence that “old” people are capable of more than they might think. Watching them find joy in what they do, potential gymnasts of all ages might decide to try the sport for themselves.

Kelly’s article also features Gina Paulhus, the creator of the Facebook group Just like fine wine…Adult Gymnastics Group. When I joined, the group had just reached 10K members. Now, there are over 13K and it is growing every day. It’s a place for the golden gymnasts to share our experience, hold each other up, and show off the work that we are doing every day.

Moving forward

Through the rest of this Olympic cycle, I will continue to enjoy watching the glory unfurl with bated breath. These athletes are fighting to make their dreams come true and smash records. Then, I will fulfill one of my own dreams when I attend my first adult gymnastics event at FlipFest in Tennessee later this month.

Who’d have thought, when I started at 36, that I’d be doing any of this? It goes to show that we have more potential we think we have.

Feeling power and gratitude

In this moment…

I feel empowered, emboldened, and grateful. I am living in a time where being “older” is now celebrated as a time of awakening, curiosity, and possibility.

I am grateful for the older elites who have paved the way for more healthy participation in the sport, at all levels.

I am super grateful to journalists like Kelly Hardcastle Jones who are taking the time and effort to put us out there in the gymnastics conversation.

You can see my videos at the links below. Do all of the things: like, follow, subscribe, comment, etc. I love hearing from people who share similar experiences!

YouTube Channel: The Geriatric Gymnast
Instagram: @staceywritesandflips
TikTok: @staceytirro
Geriatric Gymnastics Website: staceytirro.com